Fury as Bernie Ecclestone dismisses racist taunts at Lewis Hamilton

Bernie Ecclestone yesterday sparked outrage by dismissing the vile racist taunts fired at new world champion Lewis Hamilton as a joke.

Bernie Ecclestone yesterday sparked outrage by dismissing the vile racist taunts fired at new world champion Lewis Hamilton as a joke.

The 78-year-old Formula One supremo insisted in a radio interview that Spanish fans who blacked their faces for a race near Barcelona were not being insulting.

But when confronted by the Mirror he made a rapid U-turn and branded the

yobs “cowards”.

Ecclestone, right, was quizzed on BBC Radio Five Live about the abuse aimed at Hamilton at the Circuit de Catalunya in February when fans had blackened faces, black wigs and

T-shirts with the slogan “Hamilton’s family”.

He told host Nicky Campbell: “It probably began as a joke rather than anything abusive. All these things are a bit of a joke.

“I don’t see why people should have been insulted by it.

“These things are people expressing themselves.”

But listeners and anti-racist campaigners reacted with fury.

Former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott, ambassador for Football Against Racism in Europe, said: “The comments are shameful and disgraceful. Bernie Ecclestone should resign. It is clear he is out of touch with the 21st century.”

The Kick It Out campaign’s Danny Lynch added: “What Bernie Ecclestone said is shocking. Fans blacking up in the stands was overt, old-school racism.”

Apart from the Spanish abuse, Hamilton, 23 – the first black world Formula One champion – was also subjected to taunts on a website before last week’s Brazilian Grand Prix. One read: “I hope you crash and die.”

In an exclusive interview with the Mirror last night, Ecclestone called the internet remarks “disgusting”. He added: “We won’t put up with that in Formula One.”

Speaking about the Spanish incident, he said: “I want to get those people with blackened faces into the paddock and introduce them to Lewis.

“They wouldn’t dare make the comments then. They are cowards.”

“They are nothing, they are nobodies.”

Hamilton said of the Spanish shame yesterday: “I didn’t think it was a joke. But it is in the past.

“What’s more important to me is that I had a lot of support from UK fans. As long as I have my country behind me. It makes me very proud.”

WHAT THE ECC HAVE I SAID?

Nicki Campbell: What about all the racist abuse?

BERNIE ECCLESTONE: Sorry what?

NC: The racist abuse.. he was getting in Spain and everything.

NC: That was nothing to do... I think it was all nonsense. I mean in Spain people were supporting Alonso, in Sao Paulo they were supporting Felipe. I don’t think it’s anything to do with racism.

NC: I mean some of them had wigs and were blacked up and stuff like that. If that happened in this country...

BE: There were a few people in Spain and that was probably taken... beginning as a joke rather than anything that

was abusive.

I think people sort of look and read into things that weren’t there.

NC: Yeah, do you think people are getting a bit PC about these things when it is a bit of joshing, do you?

BE: I think it was... all these things are just a bit of a joke. People are entitled to support who they want to support.